MMSA artistamps from Sandra

MMSA artistamps from Rebecca

MMSA artistamps from Jo (in Australia)

MMSA artistamps from Gina

MMSA artistamps from Christie

Top 5

The blog is now 1 year and 1 month old.

The total number of views has exceeded 10000.

Last month broke the record for the most viewed month by almost 250 (over 1700 total) over March 2014.

The very first post has regained the number one spot for most viewed. The current top 5:

1 (2) Envelope 100

2 (1) Envelope 81

3 (3) Paisley

4 (5) 3D Address Smash

5 (-) Le Labyrinthe

Thanks to all the viewers and senders of mail art!

MMSA artistamp bonus envelope

As this was a slightly different MMSA challenge to normal, Karen sent them out in reused envelopes, so I was very fortunate to get this one from Caroll, complete with some bonus artistamps.

Artistamp / faux postage MMSA: classic scifi

I may have blogged about these before. They are faux classic scifi titles for a set of 12 faux stamps.

The idea (and colors) were inspired (stolen) by (from) these great stamps by Adam McCauley. These were printed on label paper and slit-perforated.

Artistamp / faux postage MMSA: (almost) black and white flowers

The second sheet I sent in was a set of photographs that I took myself of (mostly) white flowers in the garden (except the dogwood, which is a few blocks away from me), altered in photoshop. They aren't 100% black and white, there's a touch of purple and green here and there. These are printed onto large label paper and slit-perforated.

Artistamp / Faux postage MMSA challenge: FinnBadger Fauxhio definitives

I was introduced to the concept of artistamps/faux postage through Karen's blog, which lead to my participation in the Friends & Faux postcard project.

Recently Karen ran an artistamp challenge for MMSA - send in six half-sheets of stamps and receive six different ones in return.

Here is the full set of FinnBadger Fauxhio definitives that I created and sent in. These stamps are printed on gummed, perforated paper.

Fab fungi

Great mushroom envelope and stamps from Adrienne M!

And they somehow escaped the franking machine.

Envelope 133

 I finally responded to Cathy O's chalk envelope.

I sent her Mr Clapton....

Accompanied by Mr Cash....

The address may have been a touch large on this one....

 

And the back.

Bonus mail from Valerie K - Happy Birthday America

Valerie K (an MMSA swapper) sent me a patriotic postcard which arrived July 3rd.

Even the stamps used to mail it were patriotic.

MMSA Black, white, red - received

Here are the great cards I received in this swap.

From Lynne and Jan:

This fantastic giraffe from Currie, and one from Adrienne:

MMSA Red, white and black - sent

These are the cards I sent out out in this color-themed swap (four for the swap + one for the host, Karen I). They are all photographs I took that I digitally manipulated. These are printed on glossy photographic quality paper. There's a lot of red, so it looks a bit of a bloodbath to me.

A commission

I commissioned Jean W to create a unique envelope and card for my mom's 66th birthday. This one from her blog caught my eye as something my mom would like: link.

The envelope, with suggested butterfly stamp positions. The style for the return address is genius.

This was when I naively thought that an international letter between 1 and 2 oz was 1.15 + 21. So three 66c butterfly stamps would be needed. 

To Europe, the 2nd oz is actually 98c, for a grand total of 2.13. Fortunately there was a nice space for a 4th stamp. I took this one to the post office for hand cancelling since it is a special occasion (and a very special envelope).

And the card inside:

Bonus mail from Terrie P

Terrie P always sends such great bonus mail. This is done with spray inks.

Bonus mail from Rose H

Rose H is an MMSA swapper, and she sent me this great postcard after receiving my peacock feather, one of my inspired by rothko cards, and one of my recycled ones in multiple challenges. These flowers look like they're underwater to me.

The postcard is an older pre-stamped one from USPS and has this great pineapple on it:

Minizines: FrogMickey

Karen I mailed the minizines in one envelope. I'm not sure if the postage was 70c (the 2oz rate, or an uneven thickness, which this was) or 91c (3oz, or 2oz uneven thickness), but I liked the way the stamps were hand cancelled. 

Mickey Mouse profile, or frog face? You decide.

Minizines: Friends and Faux #2

The second F&F minizine from Su M, complete with real 2nd Tanglemail faux postage.

The front:

And a page from inside:

Minizines: Fish who can't count

The MMSA hostess with the mostest sent out her own zine with the batch. Love Karen I's sense of humor and art style.

The front fish:

An inside page:

Minizines: Jobs I've [Had] Survived

Lynn's MMSA minizine is hilarious.

From the front:

From the inside:

Minizine: Untied

This MMSA minizine from Judith is a lot of fun. She printed it on khaki cardstock, so it has a little bit of heft to it and contrasts well with the black and white and yellow highlights. It is crammed with all sorts of things.

Front page:

An inside page:

Minizines: Ex Postal Facto 2014

I received this zine from bar code barb in the MMSA challenge. Ex postal facto is a convention dedicated to artistamps/faux postage. The zine is filled with neat stamps and cancels.

Front page:

Inside:

Minizines: Fun Facts in the USPS

Today's MMSA minizine is from Kelsey.

The front:

A page from inside:

Minizines: Mind the Ga p

MMSA ran a minizine challenge recently; I'd never created one, and in the end used my non-traditional metro maps as the subject.

The front:

A page inside:

The back:

Minizines: Friends & Faux #1

I have a small stack of minizines to blog about.

Su M runs Friends & Faux, and she also sells minizines of the completed postcards.

Even better, on the front of each one is an original faux stamp from Tanglemail.

The front:

A selected page from inside:

Hester's aquarium

Hester sent a great envelope in a clear envelope... a very attractive aquarium. 

The front, with a great juxtaposition of cactus and tropical fish stamps that escaped the franking machine:

Mr Fish under glass...

And free on a beuatuflly textured linen envelope...

And the nautical liner...

This has given me an idea for all the cellophane covers I have been accumulating!